Auralis vs Lumenate
Both apps do the same core thing: they flash your phone's light at a steady rhythm against your closed eyes while audio plays. Most people see moving color and pattern. Lumenate is the bigger product, with a much larger library, celebrity-voiced guided sessions, an AI guide, a light mask and an Android app. Auralis is the cheaper one: $19.99 once for all seven sessions, with two of them free for good and no trial to cancel.
We make Auralis. Lumenate's prices are from its US App Store listing on October 14, 2026.
Side by side
| Lumenate | Auralis | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (US) | $13.99 a month or $79.99 a year, with lower first-period offers | $19.99 once, or $2.99 a month |
| Two years, yearly plan vs one-time | $159.98 at the regular yearly price | $19.99 |
| Free to use | Mostly behind a subscription. Lumenate offers free access by email if cost is a barrier | Wander and Sleep, with no time limit |
| Free trial | Reviewers describe free trials that renew into a paid plan | None, so nothing converts to a charge |
| Library | Large and growing: guided sessions, sleep, open explorations, John Lennon "Mind Games" mixes | 7 sessions, 4 to 21 minutes |
| Voice | Guided sessions, voiced by Rosamund Pike | A short spoken intro only |
| Extras | AI guide, journal, offline downloads | Every session is stored on the phone, so it works offline |
| Platforms | iPhone and Android | iPhone only |
| Hardware | Nova light mask, sold separately | None |
| Flash rates | Not stated in its App Store listing | 5.5 to 12.5 Hz, never 15 to 20 Hz |
| Research | Funds research at Imperial College London, Freie Universität Berlin and others | No research ties. Our sources are public |
| US ratings | 9,769 (4.6★) | 1 (new) |
Where Lumenate is better
Content. If you plan to use a light app most nights for months, Lumenate's library will stay fresh far longer than seven sessions. Its guided sessions, music and named collaborations are a real product, not padding.
Android and hardware. Auralis is iPhone only and has no equivalent of the Nova mask, which spreads light more evenly than a phone can.
Track record. Lumenate has years of updates, close to ten thousand US ratings and ties to university research groups. Auralis is new.
Where Auralis is better
Price. $19.99 once is about a quarter of one year of Lumenate at its regular yearly price. It does not come back next year.
Trying before paying. Lumenate's own reviewers complain most about price and the paywall. In 100 recent US reviews we read in October 2026, 38 mentioned price or the paywall. Of those 38, 28 gave three stars or fewer. A recurring theme was a trial turning into a charge the reviewer did not expect. Auralis has no trial: two full sessions are simply free, so there is nothing to remember to cancel.
Openness about the light. Auralis publishes the rates it uses and why it avoids the 15 to 20 Hz band, the range with the highest seizure risk for photosensitive people. Safety.
Is the experience the same?
The core of it, yes. Both use the phone's rear light through closed eyelids. What you see is your own visual system responding to the rhythm, so neither app "shows" you anything. Differences come from the rates each one uses, how long it holds them and the audio around them. The fairest test is to try both: Auralis's Wander and Sleep sessions cost nothing.
Which should you choose?
- Choose Lumenate if you want a large, guided library, use Android, want the Nova mask, or already use it most nights.
- Choose Auralis if you want the light-and-sound experience itself, want to try it without a trial, or would rather pay once than every year.
Looking at other options too? All the Lumenate alternatives we found, or what Lumenate costs in each country.
Questions
Is Auralis a copy of Lumenate?
No. Both use the same publicly researched effect: light flickering at alpha and theta rates against closed eyes. Neither invented it; the Dreamachine was doing it around 1960. The sessions, audio and rates are different.
Can I use my Lumenate subscription with Auralis?
No. They are separate apps from separate companies.
Does Auralis have guided meditations like Lumenate?
Not in the same way. Auralis has a short spoken introduction and then lets the light and sound carry the session. If voice guidance matters to you, Lumenate does that better.
How do I cancel Lumenate?
If you subscribed on iPhone: Settings, tap your name, Subscriptions, Lumenate, Cancel Subscription. Cancel at least 24 hours before the renewal date. More detail.